Downtown Muscatine gears up for Second Saturday street fest

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MUSCATINE, Iowa – The first in the series of Muscatine Second Saturday street fests to be held on Second Street in downtown Muscatine is this weekend and downtown is pulling out the stops for it.

A monthly arts and music street fest, Muscatine Second Saturday is presented by CBI Bank and Trust and the Muscatine Journal in collaboration with the Muscatine Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). It will take place from 5-8 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month from June through October in downtown on the four blocks between Cedar and Pine Streets. The street will be closed for these events.

“The downtown businesses have really embraced Second Saturday,” said Ky Cochran, director of the CVB, who added that all Second Saturday events are free and open to the public. “We’re thrilled and grateful to be working with them for this event. Most of the downtown stores are staying open late to be involved in the street fest and many are having special activities as well.”

The Second Saturday committee will be handing out punch cards to event attendees to be punched at participating downtown businesses for every $10 spent in them. When the punch card is full, attendees turn them in to the committee at their information booth for a chance to win prizes including t-shirts and Second Saturday Bucks, which are to be used as gift certificates in participating downtown businesses.

“The idea of the punch cards is to make sure that event attendees don’t miss out on what our wonderful downtown businesses have to offer them in the flurry of all our great vendors,” explained Cochran. “We want to make sure that everyone who comes has the richest experience possible!”

One of the special activities, is a book launch party for local author Misty Urban’s book “A Lesson in Manners” that will be held at the Muscatine History and Industry Center. In addition to the opportunity to buy “A Lesson In Manners” and have it signed, the party will feature games, etiquette contests, and a chance to win items inspired by different characters in the book. Urban will also do a reading from the book at 7:00 p.m., followed by an author Q/A.

Another book signing will take place at Creations by Oz. Local authors Tom and Sharon Savage will be selling and signing their book “The End of Time,” which tells the story of the murder George Volger, a former owner of the Creations by Oz building who was murdered by former mentor Fitch Swan in the building. Creations by Oz will also have a wine tasting.

Other businesses will be extending their hours to be open for the event as well, including Fresh Vintage, Just Because, The HallTree and Wine Nutz in Pearl Plaza. Pearl Plaza will be featuring live music in the atrium.

Candle Shed Effect and The Wild Thing will be open, too, and featuring music outside of The Wild Thing.

Start to Finish Nutrition and The Flower Gallery will also be open.

We Can Frame That will feature its new player piano – a piano that, essentially, plays itself. Its sister store, Muscatine Photography Studio, will be holding a photo shoot for event attendees to take part in, with a set decorated to be as mystical as the tea party in “Alice in Wonderland.”

Some stores will be having specials. Beth Zogg, DC, will be offering a Power Plate Session, regularly priced at $20, for $10. Muscatine Tech Guys will be offering $5 screen protectors installed and No More Butts Vapor Lounge will offer a 10% discount on merchandise, excluding e-liquid.

Downtown restaurants are also participating. Guadalajara, Geo Johnz and Boonie’s on the Avenue will all be open for their regular hours. The Missipi Brew will be offering happy hour drink specials during the hours of the event and Port City Underground will have outdoor seating.

“We’re extremely excited about this event,” said Cochran. “There’s going to be an incredible bustle and energy downtown during it. In addition to our fantastic downtown businesses, we’ll have a variety of talented vendors. Plus, multiple musicians will be performing on the sidewalk, we’ll have unicyclists performing tricks, and there’s going to be a chalk area for kids to draw in. This first Second Saturday is going to be fun, boisterous and overall awesome – and they’ll only get better.”

For more information about Second Saturday, including information about how to be a vendor or perform as a musician, visit muscatinesecondsaturday.com or contact Cochran at muscatinesecondsaturday@gmail.com or 563-272-2534.